Young musicians dominate the weekend as we recover from a jazz-packed New Year's Eve. Yet it's an old favorite tickling the ivories in the new Dunsmore Room; and a favorite NOLA-style band releasing a new recording at the end of the week. Not a bad start to 2016.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, January 1. New Year's Day is always a bit slow for live music, but Orchestra Hall is open and pianist Chris Lomheim is in the lobby (e.g., free!) for an hour before the 2 pm orchestra concert— you don't need a concert ticket for the prelude!
Give your ears a jumpstart for 2016 with the youthful energy of Sound Skirmish at Jazz Central. This quartet launched about two years ago, before the full band was out of high school. Now, all involved in college music programs, and home for the holidays, SS features pianist Patrick Adkins (Lawrence Conservatory), vibraphonist Levi Schwartzberg (U of M), bassist Drew Stinson (McNally Smith) and drummer Ben Ehrlich (U of North Texas). More young lions on the prowl tonight at the Gingko Coffeehouse in St Paul with The Big Other. The quartet of young college jazzers include two Mounds View High School grads, Peter Goggin on alto (U of Michigan) and Sam Worthington on bass (Peabody Conservatory), with pals Aidan Sponheim on trumpet (Lawrence Conservatory) and Edmund Caitlin (McGill U) on drums.
And dinner at the Icehouse might be just the antidote to New Year's Eve madness, and all the more enjoyable with piano/bass duo music from Bryan Nichols and James Buckley during the dinner hours.
Note about The Nicollet: Closed for New Years, the Friday Night Jazz series will be on a short vacation as the venue undergoes some remodeling and rebranding under new ownership. Watch for the return of Friday Night Jazz under the new club name (TBA), with an expanded kitchen, on January 22!
Friday-Saturday, January 1-2. Early evenings get a boost at Crooners Lounge this weekend, with guitarist Reynold Philipsek entertaining during Happy Hour. Reynold probably has the thickest book of original tunes in the Midwest!
In the Lobby Bar at the Saint Paul Hotel, JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske resume their usual winter weekend gigs, standards and more. Saturday, January 2. Patty Peterson and Friends start the new year in the lounge at Crooner's— with her usual suspects, nephew Jason Peterson DeLaire and pals Billy Franze and Bobby Vandell. It's always a party night with Patty!
At the Dakota, one of the area's favorite vocal pairings— Ginger Commodore and Dennis Spears, with Ginger's band featuring Rich Manik, Lee Blaske, Tony Axtell and Bobby Commodore. It's an embarrassment of riches.
At the Black Dog, Steve Kenny opens the 2016 season of weekly nights with Central Standard Time, a cross-generational band that launched about a year ago, featuring some of the hottest young talents in the area meshing seamlessly with veteran artists. It's an expanded ensemble tonight with Kenny (FLUMPET) and special guests Brandon Wozniak (saxophones) and JT Bates (drums), along with young guns, Levi Schwartzberg (vibes), Will Kjeer (piano) and Charlie Lincoln (bass), taking a break from college studies. And speaking of young guns, four high school seniors make up Trap Tube, playing the opening set— Jordan Anderson on piano with Gerhardt Robinson (saxophones), Alma Engebretson (bass) and Simon Petrick (drums).
More teen wizards take the stage at the 318 Cafe in Excelsior as the Will Schmid Duos perform— a two-guitar duet featuring Will and Adam Astrup opens, followed by Will and vocalist Kalli Anderson.
Sunday, January 3. Jazz brunch around the metro: The Andrew Walesch Trio at Crooners Lounge; Patty and the Buttons swing it at the Aster; Robert Everest at Maria's. In the afternoon, Doug Little's Charanga Tropical brings some Havana heat to the Icehouse for their monthly gig; in the evening, the Zacc Harris Trio is at the Riverview Wine Bar, their home for the past decade. Monday, January 4.Big band night in Fridley— the Acme Jazz Company plays in the lounge at Crooners, and of course the band features the area's own “crooner," Arne Fogel.
In the spotlight tonight at Jazz Central, young piano whiz Will Kjeerassembles a band of somewhat older area notables— Nelson Devereaux on saxophones, Graydon Peterson on bass, and Miguel Hurtado on drums. Catch will now before he heads back to studies at Cal Arts.
At the Icehouse, JT's Jazz Implosion is a double feature, starting out with '58 Belvedere— a trio heavy on guitar with Dean Granros and Pat Keen (adding vocals) and drummer “Diamond" Dave Power, playing what they describe as “explosive improvised experimental modern dance-core thrash music." The second set presents the magic of Cory Healey's Beautiful Sunshine Band, with the leader on drums, Jake Baldwin on trumpet, Brandon Wozniak on sax, Zacc Harris on guitar and Erik Fratzke on bass.
Tuesday, January 5. If you haven't visited the new Dunsmore Room at Crooners yet, tonight is a perfect opportunity (assuming you can still get a reservation)! Butch Thompson takes his turn at the Bösendorfer grand with a solo night that we can only anticipate as a perfect context for ragtime and blues. There's no cover and reasonable minimums from the dining room menu and bar.
Vieux Carré holds a piano night of its own, with Chris Lomheimhandling the happy hour sets and the Phil Aaron Trio coming on for the rest of the evening.
At the Black Dog, it is First Tuesday, meaning Dean Magraw and Davu Seru will offer their usual menu of fun and surprise. The Bill Simenson Orchestra takes the first turn of 2016 for Big Band Tuesday at Jazz Central, and the always-off-the wall fun of the Travis Anderson Trio warms the winter night at the Dakota.
Wednesday, January 6. The plethora of local craft breweries has also expanded the venues for live music. Tonight, the Pete Snell Trio (with Lee Blaske and Jim Chenoweth) performs at the Lupine Brewing Company in Delano, so you can enjoy the veteran saxman with a one-of-a-kind brew.
At the Dakota, vocalist Katia Cardenas returns for a night from her eclectic songbook.
Thursday, January 7. It's a party whenever the Jack Brass Band is on stage, and when they release a new recording, it's a holiday party! The JBB brings their new CD to Vieux Carré, following opening solo piano sets from multi-instrumentalist Jon Pemberton. At the Dakota, the trombone-wielding Potash Twins return for another dose of low-brass adventures. Twins Adeev (SUNY Purchase) and Ezra (Manhattan School of Music) have been protege's of Wynton Marsalis, and are no strangers to Minnesota, having performed at the State Fair, First Avenue and Icehouse as well as the Dakota. And what could be more fun that two trombones?
Speaking of fun, The Wolverines are at it again at Hell's Kitchen, while Vocal Jazz Night at Jazz Central will feature local singer/songwriter/cabaret artist Erin Livingston, in a jazzy frame of mind with pianist Marc Z.
Big Gigs This Week
Friday, January 1. New Year's Day is always a bit slow for live music, but Orchestra Hall is open and pianist Chris Lomheim is in the lobby (e.g., free!) for an hour before the 2 pm orchestra concert— you don't need a concert ticket for the prelude!
Give your ears a jumpstart for 2016 with the youthful energy of Sound Skirmish at Jazz Central. This quartet launched about two years ago, before the full band was out of high school. Now, all involved in college music programs, and home for the holidays, SS features pianist Patrick Adkins (Lawrence Conservatory), vibraphonist Levi Schwartzberg (U of M), bassist Drew Stinson (McNally Smith) and drummer Ben Ehrlich (U of North Texas). More young lions on the prowl tonight at the Gingko Coffeehouse in St Paul with The Big Other. The quartet of young college jazzers include two Mounds View High School grads, Peter Goggin on alto (U of Michigan) and Sam Worthington on bass (Peabody Conservatory), with pals Aidan Sponheim on trumpet (Lawrence Conservatory) and Edmund Caitlin (McGill U) on drums.
And dinner at the Icehouse might be just the antidote to New Year's Eve madness, and all the more enjoyable with piano/bass duo music from Bryan Nichols and James Buckley during the dinner hours.
Note about The Nicollet: Closed for New Years, the Friday Night Jazz series will be on a short vacation as the venue undergoes some remodeling and rebranding under new ownership. Watch for the return of Friday Night Jazz under the new club name (TBA), with an expanded kitchen, on January 22!
Friday-Saturday, January 1-2. Early evenings get a boost at Crooners Lounge this weekend, with guitarist Reynold Philipsek entertaining during Happy Hour. Reynold probably has the thickest book of original tunes in the Midwest!
In the Lobby Bar at the Saint Paul Hotel, JoAnn Funk and Jeff Brueske resume their usual winter weekend gigs, standards and more. Saturday, January 2. Patty Peterson and Friends start the new year in the lounge at Crooner's— with her usual suspects, nephew Jason Peterson DeLaire and pals Billy Franze and Bobby Vandell. It's always a party night with Patty!
At the Dakota, one of the area's favorite vocal pairings— Ginger Commodore and Dennis Spears, with Ginger's band featuring Rich Manik, Lee Blaske, Tony Axtell and Bobby Commodore. It's an embarrassment of riches.
At the Black Dog, Steve Kenny opens the 2016 season of weekly nights with Central Standard Time, a cross-generational band that launched about a year ago, featuring some of the hottest young talents in the area meshing seamlessly with veteran artists. It's an expanded ensemble tonight with Kenny (FLUMPET) and special guests Brandon Wozniak (saxophones) and JT Bates (drums), along with young guns, Levi Schwartzberg (vibes), Will Kjeer (piano) and Charlie Lincoln (bass), taking a break from college studies. And speaking of young guns, four high school seniors make up Trap Tube, playing the opening set— Jordan Anderson on piano with Gerhardt Robinson (saxophones), Alma Engebretson (bass) and Simon Petrick (drums).
More teen wizards take the stage at the 318 Cafe in Excelsior as the Will Schmid Duos perform— a two-guitar duet featuring Will and Adam Astrup opens, followed by Will and vocalist Kalli Anderson.
Sunday, January 3. Jazz brunch around the metro: The Andrew Walesch Trio at Crooners Lounge; Patty and the Buttons swing it at the Aster; Robert Everest at Maria's. In the afternoon, Doug Little's Charanga Tropical brings some Havana heat to the Icehouse for their monthly gig; in the evening, the Zacc Harris Trio is at the Riverview Wine Bar, their home for the past decade. Monday, January 4.Big band night in Fridley— the Acme Jazz Company plays in the lounge at Crooners, and of course the band features the area's own “crooner," Arne Fogel.
In the spotlight tonight at Jazz Central, young piano whiz Will Kjeerassembles a band of somewhat older area notables— Nelson Devereaux on saxophones, Graydon Peterson on bass, and Miguel Hurtado on drums. Catch will now before he heads back to studies at Cal Arts.
At the Icehouse, JT's Jazz Implosion is a double feature, starting out with '58 Belvedere— a trio heavy on guitar with Dean Granros and Pat Keen (adding vocals) and drummer “Diamond" Dave Power, playing what they describe as “explosive improvised experimental modern dance-core thrash music." The second set presents the magic of Cory Healey's Beautiful Sunshine Band, with the leader on drums, Jake Baldwin on trumpet, Brandon Wozniak on sax, Zacc Harris on guitar and Erik Fratzke on bass.
Tuesday, January 5. If you haven't visited the new Dunsmore Room at Crooners yet, tonight is a perfect opportunity (assuming you can still get a reservation)! Butch Thompson takes his turn at the Bösendorfer grand with a solo night that we can only anticipate as a perfect context for ragtime and blues. There's no cover and reasonable minimums from the dining room menu and bar.
Vieux Carré holds a piano night of its own, with Chris Lomheimhandling the happy hour sets and the Phil Aaron Trio coming on for the rest of the evening.
At the Black Dog, it is First Tuesday, meaning Dean Magraw and Davu Seru will offer their usual menu of fun and surprise. The Bill Simenson Orchestra takes the first turn of 2016 for Big Band Tuesday at Jazz Central, and the always-off-the wall fun of the Travis Anderson Trio warms the winter night at the Dakota.
Wednesday, January 6. The plethora of local craft breweries has also expanded the venues for live music. Tonight, the Pete Snell Trio (with Lee Blaske and Jim Chenoweth) performs at the Lupine Brewing Company in Delano, so you can enjoy the veteran saxman with a one-of-a-kind brew.
At the Dakota, vocalist Katia Cardenas returns for a night from her eclectic songbook.
Thursday, January 7. It's a party whenever the Jack Brass Band is on stage, and when they release a new recording, it's a holiday party! The JBB brings their new CD to Vieux Carré, following opening solo piano sets from multi-instrumentalist Jon Pemberton. At the Dakota, the trombone-wielding Potash Twins return for another dose of low-brass adventures. Twins Adeev (SUNY Purchase) and Ezra (Manhattan School of Music) have been protege's of Wynton Marsalis, and are no strangers to Minnesota, having performed at the State Fair, First Avenue and Icehouse as well as the Dakota. And what could be more fun that two trombones?
Speaking of fun, The Wolverines are at it again at Hell's Kitchen, while Vocal Jazz Night at Jazz Central will feature local singer/songwriter/cabaret artist Erin Livingston, in a jazzy frame of mind with pianist Marc Z.
